Electrical relay of toggle type



Filed April 6, 1949 Patented Nov. 6, 1951 2,574,399 ELECTRICAL RELAY OF TOGGLE TYPE Anthony H. Lamb, Hillside, N. J., assignor to Weston Electrical Instrument Corporation,

Newark, N. J., a corpor ation of New Jersey Application April 6, 1949, Serial No. 85,757

Claims.

This invention relates to electrical relays of the high-low type for effecting an on-off control of a load device or a load circuit, and more particularly to so-called toggle relays which include a toggle switch for restricting the effective response of the relay to the first excursion of the magnitude of the control factor to the critical value opposite that which developed the previous response or energization of the relay.

' Objects of the invention are to provide toggle relays of simple design and construction for effecting an on-off control of a load device or a load circuit. Objects are to provide toggle relays including a sensitive relay with high and low magnetic contacts, a toggle member for actuating a load circuit switch, and an auxiliary relay energized by the primary relay to adjust the toggle member between its alternate end positions. More specifically, an object is to provide a relay of the character stated in which the magnetic contacts are carried by the toggle member, and the energization of the auxiliary relay by a closure of the sensitive relay contact arm upon one of the magnetic contacts adjusts the toggle member to move that magnetic contact out of the path of movement of the contact arm.

These and other objects and the advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following specification when taken with the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a toggle relay embodying the invention; and

Fig. 2 is a schematic view in which, for clarity of illustration, the spacing of the major components has been increased to avoid an ovrlapping of parts, and the toggle assembly is shown in elevation as viewed from the left of Fig. 1.

In the drawing, the reference numeral I identifies the moving coil of a sensitive instrument type relay, the coil being supported for angular movement by a soft iron yoke 2 within which a transversely magnetized cylindrical core 3 is mounted. Instruments of this general type are I described and claimed in my copending application Serial No. 584,759, filed March 26, 1945, but the conventional instrument construction with a C-magnet and soft iron core may be employed when minimum size and weight are not important design requirements.

The coil I is deflected in accordance with variations in the magnitude of the current or voltage developed by some control factor, for example illumination, when the coil I is connected across a photocell 4, see Fig. 2.

The relay coil I carries a contact arm 5 for cooperation with spaced high and low contacts 6, 1 and, for maximum sensitivity and stability,

the contacts are preferably small permanent magnets for engagement by a soft iron contact 8 fixed on the contact arm 5. Resilient stops 9 and ID are supported on the yoke 2 to limit the angular travel of the contact arm '5.

The primary relay is supported on a base II by a bracket I2, and the contacts 6, I are mounted on Wires I3, I4, respectively, which are carried by a toggle member I5 of triangular plate form pivoted by a pin I6 upon a post I! secured to the base II. The pin I6 or axis of rocking movement is close to the junction of two sides of the member I5 and is symmetrically located with respect to those sides and to the spaced magnetic contacts 6, l; and the respective contacts are moved into and out of the path of movement of the contact arm 5 by the rocking of the toggle member. The opposite edges of the member I5 are extended to provide stop lugs I5 which cooperate with a pin Is on post IT to limit the angular movement of the toggle member I5. The pin I8 extends through the post I7 and provides, at the side of post Il opposite the toggle mem ber I5, an anchor for one end of a biasing or toggle spring I9. The other end of the spring I9 is supported on a rod 20 which projects upwardly from the toggle member I5 in the plane of symmetry of the toggle member. The anchor pin I8 is in the same vertical plane as the pivot pin I6, and this vertical plane is the dead-center plane of the toggle.

An auxiliary relay or small electromagnet 2| with an armature 22 is mounted on the base II, and the armature has a rod extension 23 movable in the vertical plane through pivot pin I6 of toggle member I5. Energization of the auxiliary relay, as described hereinafter, depresses the rod 23 to shift the toggle member from one to the other of its alternative positions in which it is yieldingly retained by the spring I9.

A switch 24, or for generality, a pair of switches 24, 24 are mounted on the base II for actuation by the respective extensions I5 of the toggle member I5. The switch or switches may be of the normally open type, as illustrated, or may be of normally closed type for actuation to open position by the toggle member I5. In a typical control circuit, as shown in Fig. 2, a current source 25 is connected by a lead 26 to the contact arm 5 of the primary relay, and by lead 2'! to one ter minal of the auxiliary relay 2|. The other terminal of the auxiliary relay M is connected by lead 28 to the junction of wires I3, I I which carry the magnetic contacts 6, 1 of the primary relay. The engagement of contact 8 on arm 5 with either of the spaced contacts 6 and 1 will therefore energize the auxiliary relay 2|.

The circuits controlled by the switch 24, or switches 24, 24' may be of various types according to the desired relay control operation. As shown in Fig. 2, one contact of each switch is connected by a common lead 29 to a current source S and the other contacts of switches 24, 24 are connected to the other power source lead 36 through individual circuits which include, respectively, signal devices 3|, 32 in series with load devices or circuits 33, 34, respectively.

The closure of movable contact 8 upon either of the spaced contacts 6 and 1 results in an energization of auxiliary relay 2| to depress the rod 23 to shift the toggle member l5 into its alternative position. As shown in Fig. 1, the measured factor has just reached one of its critical control values; for example its low" value, and the magnetic contact 8 has just engaged the magnetic contact 6. The electromagnet 2| is therefore energized to depress the armature 22 and rod 23, but the several parts are shown in the drawing in the positions they occupy before the armature 22 moves in response to the energization of electromagnet 2|. The load device or circuit 33 was energized by the prior engagement of movable contact 8 with the high contact 6, as is indicated by the lighted signal lamp 3 I.

When armature 22 pulls in, the rod extension 23 moves downwardly in the vertical plane through the pivot pin |6 of the toggle member I5, and thereby turns the toggle member l5 clockwise as it slides along the right edge of the toggle member l5, see Fig. 2. The toggle spring l9 completes this movement of the member |5 as soon as the upper end of the spring is moved to the right of the vertical plane through the pivot pin IS. The switch 24 is therefore opened to deenergize the load device 33, and switch 24' is closed to energize the load device 34. The rocking of the toggle member l5 moves the magnetic contact 6 downwardly to separate it from the soft iron contact 8 on the contact arm 5, and simultaneously moves the other magnetic contact 'I upwardly into the horizontal plane of movement of the contact arm 5.

The next operation of the relay will take place when, and only when, the control factor rises to the critical value at which the movable contact arm carries the soft iron contact 8 into the field of attraction of the high" magnetic contact I. Excursions of the control factor value back and forth through the low critical value at which contacts 6, and 8 had engaged can not result in a false actuation of the relay since the low contact 6 is now located well below the plane of movement of the contact 3.

' The toggle system effects a resetting of the sensitive instrument type relay with magnetic contacts and, in general, it is preferable to include the electromagnet 2| in the relay system to effect an immediate resetting of the magnetic contact relay and an accompanying switching of the control circuits. This reduces the current drain of the relay to momentary current pulses through the electromagnet 2|. The toggle mounting of the spaced contacts 6, I is of utility, however, in magnetic contact relays of the manually reset type. In such manually reset relays, the electromagnet 2| is replaced by a visual or audible signal to advise the operator that he .0

should depress a resetting member, corresponding to the rod 23, to throw the toggle member |5 into its alternate end position.

The maximum advantages are attained when the primary relay is of the miniature type described in the aforesaid copending application, and is provided with magnetic contacts, but other constructions may be employed when minimum weight and maximum sensitivity are not essential. The invention is not limited to the particular construction herein shown and described since various changes which may occur to those familiar with the design and construction of relays fall within the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a toggle relay, a primary relay having a contact arm movable between spaced contacts, a toggle member of triangular form carrying said spaced contacts, means supporting said toggle member for rocking movement about an axis close to the junction of and located symmetrically with respect to the junction of two sides of said triangular toggle member, stop means limiting rocking movement of said toggle member to alternative end positions at opposite sides of a deadcenter position, said spaced contacts being symmetrically positioned with respect to said axis and displaced by rocking of said toggle member so that one or alternatively the other of said spaced contacts is in the path of movement of said contact arm, a toggle spring for rocking said toggle member into one of its end positions upon movement of the toggle member to one side or the other of a dead-center position, and an auxiliary relay energized by an engagement of said contact arm with one of said contacts and including an armature movable into contact with said sides of thetoggle member to rock said toggle member from one end position to and beyond deadcenter position, whereby said toggle spring completes the rocking movement of said toggle member into its other end position, and switch means actuated by said toggle member.

2. In a toggle relay, the invention as recited in claim 1, in combination with a common base on which said primary relay and said auxiliary relay are mounted, and wherein said supporting means for said toggle member comprises a post fixed to said base, and a pivot pin for said toggle member carried by said post.

3. In a toggle relay, the invention as recited in claim 2, wherein a pin extends through said post to provide an anchor for one end of said toggle spring and to constitute an element of said stop means.

4. In a toggle relay, the invention as recited in claim 3, wherein said sides of the toggle member are extended to form lugs cooperating with said pin extending through said post to constitute said stop means.

5. In a toggle relay, the invention as recited in claim 4, wherein said toggle member includes a rod extending beyond the apex of said triangular plate to constitute an anchor for the other end of said toggle spring.

ANTHONY H. LAMB.

REFERENCES CITED I The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,701,357 Butler Feb. 5, 1929 1,966,285 Deans July 10, 1934 2,014,385 Lamb Sept. 17, 1935 2,062,915 Lamb Dec. 1. 1936 

